Retake and Double Exposure
by
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As she crawled between the sheets, she saw flecks of light from the pressure of pushing her knuckles into her eyes. Rolling onto her stomach she reached out clenching each side of the mattress of the single bed. The humiliation of the evening flooded and engulfed her so that her head throbbed. If she could only cry. Why couldn't she cry? She wasn't hard-boiled. Sad movies, books and radio plays always made her chest full and her eyes moist. But she would allow the tears to dry on her face before she would allow anyone to see her wiping her eyes.
"Any other girl," kept going through her mind. Did she have to give up her identity and be like any other girl? Was she different? How could she be sure? She continued her prayer, "Please God, don't let me be different; let me grow up to be like everyone else. I'm not asking to be rich or famous or beautiful. Just let me be like other girls. Help me not to be lonely."
She thought of Fern. When she had been with Fern she wasn't lonely, but before and after had been the same. She wondered how long it would last. How long it would take to live a lifetime?
It seemed as though she had just gotten to sleep when the morning bell rang.
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About the Book
Louise is a lonely, sensitive girl unable to bond with family. She feels she is an outsider and yearns for a sister. She finds short-term happiness with a special friend, Fern, who doesn’t have long to live.
Louise’s experiences include vivid descriptions of the ravages of the Great Depression, a devastating flood and the trauma of nearly being raped by her first boyfriend.
About the Author
The author lives in a retirement village in Southcentral Pa. She had a three act drama produced and poetry published. Her next objective is to publish a collection of short stories. She was a registered nurse and a social worker.